general | Fishmadman.com http://www.fishmadman.com Dry fly fishing for salmon and steelhead with Bomber dry flies - Riffling Hitch and wake fly techniques Thu, 28 Nov 2024 12:47:50 +0000 en-US hourly 1 34674374 Heavy Metal General Practitioner http://www.fishmadman.com/sub-flies/heavy-metal-general-practitioner Mon, 28 Jan 2013 19:55:27 +0000 http://www.fishmadman.com/pages/?page_id=9857

The fly in red

Heavy Metal GP

Orange prawn flies like the GP, The Chilimps and Ally’s Scrimp, to mention a few – Have a substantial effect on sea trout and salmon living in peaty water – Why? White light (daylight) is divided into all the colours of the rainbow – and the different colours that the light is made up of will disappear through water – in peaty water, the last colour to fade is; red.

Heavy Metal GP tied on a bullet tube.

Tying a Heavy Metal General Practitioner

Caught on Heavy Metal General PractitionerThis variant of the General Practitioner is yet another fly designed for a special presentation. It has caught me much fish over the years and has a particular goal; it is the fly I bring out when the fish is hanging close to the edge of the other river bank of a medium river. A cast straight across could be the only way to cover the specific lie – The General Practitioner will only have a few seconds to find the depth of the fish before the fly line starts pulling away. This is the time for the Heavy Metal General Practitioner. If tied correctly, this fly looks like a crustacean.

Sea run brown (sea trout) Caught on Heavy Metal GP

Picture of a Skjern River sea run brown caught in a small pothole on the opposite river bank – on a Heavy Metal General Practitioner – Picture with courtesy of Mr Jens Bursell

Tying the Heavy Metal GP 1

Thin 1, 4-millimetre tubing melted in one end to form a collar. Hook guard in place (here red tubing – clear tubing will also do) – Note the yellow line sticking out of the tube to the right: It is nylon mono 0.40 millimetre. I use it to put through the eye of the needle to wedge the tubing onto the needle, preventing it from revolving.

Buy tubing and the needle from the E-shop Buy salmon & steelhead flies

Tying the Heavy Metal GP 3

Cut the centre out of a hot orange Golden Pheasant tippet feather to form a V-shaped feather. Place this on top of the fly, as seen in the photo. Fly seen from above. Tie in a length of silver rib. The tippet feather-like many other feathers, is a highly efficient salmon attractor worth implementing in all kinds of sub-flies

Tying the Heavy Metal GP 5

Tie in a body of wool. Here I have used hot orange seal fur. Regular wool will also do. Run the ribbing through the body, and plug the hairs out – No hackle is needed in the construction

Tying the Heavy Metal GP 6

Seen from the side, the General Practitioner should look something like this

Tying the Heavy Metal GP 2

Tie down the hook guard – Apply super-glue or fly-tying cement to tie down the tube where the metal section will sit – Slide down the copper bullet. Bullets like this can be bought in various sizes and colours.

Tying the Heavy Metal GP 4

Cut a bunch of hot orange hairs out. Here hair from a polar bear. Separate small from long hair, and start by tying in the bundle of short hair. Put the longer hair on top of this bundle. Tying the General Practitioner in this way will prevent the hair from getting caught in the bend of the hook/hooks

ying the Heavy Metal GP 7

Tie in a uniform Golden Pheasant breast feather, flat on the top of the fly. Here seen from above. The feather has to be tied in perfectly – straight on top. This is the difficult part of this type of fly. If you don’t get it right, the fly won’t work probably

Tying the Heavy Metal GP 8

Freshly spawned Heavy Metal General Practitioner

Trim away the execs tube – Add super-glue to the head…Hook and leader and a salmon or trout river

Tying a Heavy tube General Practitioner

Sea trout hooked on a copper US-tube General Practitioner.

Copper Bottle tube variation – fly

Copper Bottle tube variation - fly

 General Practitioner tied on a copper bottle tube

Bottle tube used in the same way as the bullet tube –

 

 

 

Our other page on the General Practitioner fly

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9857
salmon fly in red http://www.fishmadman.com/archives/7859 http://www.fishmadman.com/archives/7859#_comments Thu, 10 Jan 2013 20:33:53 +0000 http://www.fishmadman.com/pages/?p=7859

How does a salmon perceive your fly? – Discover the fascinating visual dynamics of Atlantic salmon and uncover why they may be drawn to specific colors in your salmon fly.

Why Are Red Salmon Flies More Effective Late in the Season?

General Practitioner GP flyDuring its remarkable life journey, a salmon transitions between two vastly different worlds—freshwater rivers and the open sea. Each of these environments presents unique visual challenges, prompting the salmon to develop extraordinary adaptations to perceive colors effectively.

The Salmon’s Vision: A Changing Spectrum

Salmon eyes undergo physical changes to adapt to the colors and light conditions of their surroundings. Colors, technically defined as different wavelengths of light, require specific pigments in the eye for detection. These adaptations are crucial for the salmon’s survival in their shifting environments.

 

  • In Freshwater as Parr:
    Young salmon, or parr, remain in rivers where their eyes are optimized for detecting long wavelengths, such as orange and brown hues. These colors dominate the riverine landscape and align with the environment’s visual demands.
  • In the Open Sea:
    As spring approaches and parr prepare to migrate to the ocean, their endocrine system produces a new pigment in the eye. This transformation enables them to detect shorter wavelengths like blue and green. These are the dominant hues of their marine prey, such as sand eels, sprats, and herring, which have evolved to blend seamlessly into the ocean’s colors.

The Return to Freshwater

Hitchman riffling hitch flyWhen salmon return to rivers for spawning, their eyes begin reverting to their freshwater settings. Initially, their sea-adapted eyes might still respond to blue and green flies. However, as their endocrine system adjusts, their vision shifts to favor long wavelengths once again. This biological transformation explains why red, orange, and brown flies become increasingly effective late in the season.

Interestingly, these color shifts are mirrored in the salmon’s physical appearance. Male salmon, for instance, develop vivid red, orange, and brown pigmentation as a form of signaling to rivals, reinforcing the connection between their vision and body coloration.

It’s not just about aesthetics; it’s about aligning with the salmon’s evolved visual preferences.

Practical Implications for Anglers

This fascinating adaptation offers insight into why red flies, like the General Practitioner, often outperform others toward the end of the season. It’s not just about aesthetics; it’s about aligning with the salmon’s evolved visual preferences.

Special thanks to Kim Rasmussen from Salmonfly.dk for his valuable insights on this topic.

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